Cross Shaft Bushing Too Tight

Ty Ueda · From: New Hampshire, USA

Hi all,

I'm changing around the copedent on my MSA S-10 Classic and I've run into an issue. The cross shaft bushing for the 0-pedal (or close to it) is too tight to fit the cross shaft rod. Picture included to show the issue. I'm having trouble telling if it's because the holes are misaligned, or if it's because the bushing itself is damaged.
It can be inserted ever so slightly but quickly becomes too tight to rotate freely in the shaft. I've cleaned the inside with rubbing alcohol to no avail.
Having a little trouble finding the best and cleanest way to replace these bushings without totally chewing the piece or the steel up. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks
Ty

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Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Measurements from each end of the shaft to the endplate and the deck should be the same, that's the easiest way to see if the holes are right. Did you try inserting the shaft in the next empty location and see if it fits there? If all else fails, you can enlarge the hole in the bushing a little, which is easier with the bushing removed. (They're a press fit, and usually not very tight.) A small piece of fine sandpaper rolled up and turned in the bushing will open the hole.) Go slowly.

You can use a thin blade knife to gently pry the bushing out, or use the head of a large nail (inserted into the bushing) to tap and pull the bushing out of the rail. That way, you won't break the flange of the bushing or scratch the aluminum.

Larry Dering · From: Missouri, USA

A dial calipers is easily gotten and even the cheap ones from Harbor Freight are accurate enough to measure shaft diameters. You can then find a rod or drill bit the same size and using the non cutting end see if it fits and spins freely. Of course misalignment from the opposite side would cause binding. So will a bent shaft.

Bobby D. Jones · From: West Virginia, USA

From the picture the guitar dates back some years, May have celebrated it 40th Birthday.
If that bushing has been in the guitar since its birth, With no shaft in the bushing. If the guitar was in very warm places over the years, The plastic bushing has shrunk by length and diameter.

Take a 4" piece of dowel rod that will fit loose in the bushing. Cut a slot long ways in 1 end about 1/2", Place other end in an electric drill. Cut a 1/2" X 2" piece of fine sandpaper and place in the dowel slot. Wrap sand paper clockwise around dowel with grit to outside. Running drill slowly insert into bushing, Remove a small amount of plastic. Insert back into guitar bushing hole and check fit, Keep removing material until shaft slides in with no resistance.

Rub the shaft where it contacts bushing, With a regular pencil, A little coat of graphite between the shaft and bushing will make it run smoother.

Check the other bushing cracks or tightness while working on guitar. While the guitar is getting TLC, May be good time to replace all bushings, At its age. To cut down problems later.

Good Luck and Happy Steelin.

Al Evans · From: Austin, Texas, USA

The bushing should come out of its hole easily with the cross shaft removed. If it's hard to remove, or doesn't slide easily onto the cross shaft once removed, it can easily be replaced with one from Michael Yahl:

https://www.psgparts.com/Bushing-Shaft-Cross-Delrin-200-100-002.htm

Having disassembled/reassembled an MSA Classic a couple of years ago, I have a hard time imagining what could be far wrong. Mine still had the original bushings, as far as I could tell, and they were not noticeably worn. I couldn't find anything to do to them except clean off old grease and lubricate them with a little white lithium grease.

--Al Evans
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2018 MSA Legend, 2018 ZumSteel Encore, 2015 Mullen G2, G&L S-500, G&L ASAT, G&L LB-100, Godin A4 Fretless, Kinscherff High Noon

Dennis Detweiler · From: Solon, Iowa, US

Pull it out and replace it with one of the other bushings not being used.
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1976 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics 427 pickup, 1975 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics X-12 pickup, Revelation preamp, Carbon Copy Delay and Hall Of Fame Reverb, Crown XLS 1002, 2- 15" Eminence Wheelhouse speakers, ShoBud Pedal, Effects Pedals. 1949 Epiphone D-8.

Ty Ueda · From: New Hampshire, USA

I wanted to follow up with everybody here who made some suggestions on this one:

For whatever reason, all of the unused bushings are incredibly tight and don't fit the cross shafts very well. Like all of you, I assumed that the plastic/delrin pieces had shrunk over time, but when I ordered a new set of bushings from Michael (thanks as always!) they too were FAR too snug in the holes on the main body.

What did end up working was expanding the inner diameter of the bushing as described by Bobby and Al in their replies! Thanks for the confidence to help me do this.

What stands out to me is that the holes that have NEVER been in use with this steel are smaller than the rest. It's baffling to me still, as I don't think the actual steel can shrink (and yes, I've thoroughly cleaned each and every hole and have found that consistently, holes that haven't been used are too snug for a a bushing, new, or borrowed from a working hole position).

Who knows, anyway, now to order more spacers as I've realized I've forgotten some.

Thanks all, this copedent change is gonna be a doozie.
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Dennis Detweiler · From: Solon, Iowa, US

Maybe the 3/8 cross shaft is an add-on and metric size? Just a wild guess. I have two MSA's, 1974 and 1975 and never had that problem. I made a couple of cross shafts for them out of 3/8 stock. If you continue to have the problem with other shafts, you could use some emery cloth and rub/turn down the ends for a micro better fit.
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1976 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics 427 pickup, 1975 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics X-12 pickup, Revelation preamp, Carbon Copy Delay and Hall Of Fame Reverb, Crown XLS 1002, 2- 15" Eminence Wheelhouse speakers, ShoBud Pedal, Effects Pedals. 1949 Epiphone D-8.

Ron Pruter · From: Arizona, USA

So, are the bushing holes in wood or metal. If they are in wood I feel the wood could easily shrink or maybe even expand in a real humid part of the world. Where does the guitar live🙊? I'm betting humid. RP
Note... Your location doesn't show while composing a response. But now I see NH.
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Emmons SKH Le Grande, '73 Fender P/J bass, Tick tack bass, Regal high strung, USA Nashville 112.

Ty Ueda · From: New Hampshire, USA

Dennis, that could be. This steel obviously had some seriously wonky setting up done to it in a former life, so it could have been. I bought the steel WAY UP there in Maine and there's a guy close by who is the dude in Maine for working on steels so it probably could have gotten some historical answers from him, guessing he's the guy who worked on it.

I think when I received it, it was an emmons setup with the knee levers reversed in a way that made absolutely no sense, two pedals just completely unattached from anything.

Ron, the holes are in the metal, which is why I'm guessing there's no way the metal, uh, like, uh.... shrunk?

I'm doing a full Day setup with a Franklin pedal and a pedal to lower the Bs to B flats. that's how I'm going to tackle the 5x4 setup I'm stuck with and see what happens.

Thanks all, I'll report back when I've got a million other questions when setting it up.
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